Last Wednesday, August 9th, we attended Module’s panel, “Defining the Future of Housing” with one question on our minds: What is the future of housing?

We’ve been keeping up with Module, one of our Alloy 26 Fellowship teams, from the beginning as their crew journeys to find the answer to that important question. Since their original stay in Alloy 26, Module has competed in the SXSW Accelerator Competition, graduated from AlphaLab Gear, presented at Innovation Works’ Demo Day, snagged a partnership with Comcast, built their first demo unit, and joined Techstars.

As their company advances, many things have remained constant, including their passion for Pittsburgh. As a Pittsburgh-based startup company, Module focuses especially on housing’s place in Pittsburgh.

For their most recent event, Module brought panelists to discuss the housing industry through different perspectives. The panel was moderated by Brian Gaudio, CEO of Module, and panelists included:

Throughout the discussion, one theme remained clear – the future of housing depends on the user, and the experience of that user. Whether that experience is improved by technology, like through Xfinity Home by Comcast, or through co-living at Common Living Inc., nonetheless, the experience must be user-friendly.

A consensus of “user-friendly” housing revolves around the smart home, which grants the homeowner (or renter, as more people rent homes longer) the ability to program their homes to get what they want out of them. By working off a single device, i.e. a cellphone, to change the temperature in your house, double check your doors are locked, and change the TV station, technology is the answer. But it also has to come across as simple to remain user friendly.

Behind Module’s mission is the practice of “redefining the American Dream.” Their homes are spaced smartly, and their layouts keep the home-owner in mind while they piece together their dream-home concept. This coincides with the thread of a user-friendly experience in the future of housing.

So, what is the future of housing? Will technology take over? The housing industry isn’t something that’s going to change overnight. Many factors that swarm the housing industry like building costs, maintenance costs, utilities, mortgages, and remodeling costs aren’t going away. But looking at the housing industry through the lens of its place in the service industry servicing homebuyers and renters is something that will only get better with time.

For more information on Module, especially about their demo unit that’s currently stationed at Nova Place, check out our website, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! Keep up with all of our fellowship teams and members through our blog.